It sure doesn’t feel like fall in Houston with 95 degree highs and the heat index bringing it up to 106. But with the kids starting back up with school, it makes it seem as if cooler weather is just around the corner. With homework and school projects back in play, we are getting more serious about books and completing reading lists. This doesn’t mean it can’t be fun – we continue to read aloud, participate in school reading contests, and visit the library to discover new books.

Aaaand we’re back after a long break. Trust me, it’s been necessary. It’s been a month since my comeback to full-time employment, and time seems to have both crept slowly and flown by. I’m still getting used to a very different schedule (10-hour work days for most of the week, with half of Fridays off), but I’m fully enjoying being creative and collaborating with other creative minds.

The weekend before my return to work was a busy one, so I didn’t have much time to feel anxious. Saturdays are Sofia’s activity days, and in addition to ballet and swimming we were hosting Rikki’s aunt and cousin who were visiting from the Philippines. On Sunday we took a day trip down to the Monterey Coast for our annual pilgrimage to the Moss Landing Antique Faire. We didn’t find anything big this year, though I scored on a vintage purse with woven detailing and plexiglass handles. That night, I prepared as much as I could for the next day and was so thoroughly exhausted that I fell immediately asleep.

The other week, I was finally able to keep my promise to Sofia to get her own library card. Once we filled out the requisite forms and went to the children’s section (all themed up in Wizard of Oz), she almost seemed overwhelmed by the sheer number of books to choose from. She asked me how many books she could take, and I said “How many do you want to borrow?” She thought about it for a moment, then said “Five”. Well, she picked out five in less than a minute. She stopped and said we could go now that she’d chosen five. I told her we could borrow a few more if she wanted. She just stared at me in awe. We ended up with nine books. So, here’s a peek into what we’re reading right now:

Three months ago, Sofia and I were walking through the park after a run, when a family passed us on their bikes. The youngest child looked to be around Sofia’s age, and was pedaling as fast as his training wheels allowed.

“Sofia, you haven’t been on your bicycle in a while. You should go on it,” I said.

“But, Mommy, you remember, last time I fell and I hurt my cheek and I cried. I don’t want to fall again.”

From Carissa

We are always encouraged to multitask, it is considered a positive thing and is usually on resumes as a strength—that we are able to do be flexible and tackle different activities in a short amount of time. I don’t know about you but many times this leaves me exhausted and feeling burned out. This article suggests setting aside larger blocks of time for each task, and encourages taking 15 minute breaks every few hours in order to be more productive.